Promise
by dl-shipper34
Summary: "I will find my family," he said in a hushed tone, determination clearly evident in his voice. "If it takes the rest of my days, I will find them." Oneshot, takes place after the final scene in 2x01.


A/N: This little oneshot came to me after Sunday's awesome premiere, and because I'm already a fan of Charming/Henry bonding time. All mistakes are mine and reviews are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

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Promise

To the residents of Storybrooke it was their first night of remembering. It was a night to celebrate, to speak about bygone adventures, to try and understand why they didn't return to their magical realm, and to conspire as to how to solve a most glaring predicament in the form of Regina.

To Charming, morning couldn't arrive soon enough.

His large hands curled into tight fists as he fought to contain a scream that threatened to unleash from his throat. A scream of simultaneous frustration and sorrow as only hours before he had been reunited with his family, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks as he hugged them fiercely. Now his wife and daughter were trapped in an unknown land, cruelly taken from him. He desperately wanted to find them, to hold them in his arms once again, but no one could help him. Even Regina had no idea where they had vanished to, and if it hadn't been for her hurling him against the wall he would have strangled her on the spot. He knew she saw it in his very features: normally calm eyes burned with a vicious hatred, lips forming a wicked snarl as he advanced upon the Queen and forced her to take several steps back. Unfortunately she had been of zero assistance, and he had no choice but to take Henry back to Snow's apartment.

The young fellow, who had struggled with his own mixture of emotions, now lay peacefully on Snow's bed nearby. Although he was watching his grandson through hooded lids, Charming was alert and ready to spring up at the slightest noise. Ever since their reunion - the corner of his mouth twitched with the slightest hint of a smile as he thought back to when Henry called him "grandpa" - he had found himself feeling incredibly protective towards the boy. Not that it surprised him any; upon realizing he had finally found his beloved family his paternal instincts instantly took over. He wished he could shield all three from the evils in the world, to take them to a far corner of the magical land where they would live in peace and free from tyranny.

Charming's mind then strayed to Snow and Emma. Above all he hoped they were alive and safe. Perhaps they had found others and were concocting a way to escape. He had no doubt they were thinking of some brilliant plans; those two had always been rather resourceful. But for all that, an icy claw slowly gripped his heart as he realized there was a possibility they would never return. It was difficult to remain optimistic when no one could tell him if they'd be back, let alone where they had disappeared to. They and Henry were his life. He had a family to care for, and he would do anything - even sacrifice his own spirit - to ensure their safety. But he had failed miserably, and for that he felt a tiny shard of shame creep into his blood.

It had only been a short while since their disappearance and his heart already ached with pain. He missed them terribly. He longed for Emma's presence, to hear her voice echoing in his ears. He feverishly wished to feel Snow's soothing touch against his skin - which was now as cold as an icicle in winter - and to kiss her until they were both fighting for oxygen. He was dreading sleep, for he wanted to be able to wake up next to her and witness the glorious morning sun dance across her beautiful features.

But his wishes and dreams were all for naught, and with a mournful groan he lay his head down upon the cool table and closed his eyes for several minutes.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Charming sat bolt upright in his chair, startled by the sudden voice. He half-turned as Henry sat down in the seat beside him, staring up at him with a pair of clearly exhausted eyes. In his hands he held the framed picture of his mother and grandmother, the same one he had briefly studied upon entering the apartment some time before. He set it down on the counter between them.

When Charming didn't reply, Henry placed a small hand over that of his grandfathers and posed another inquiry. "Are you scared?"

"Very much, but I'm also hopeful. I don't like to think fate would be so cruel as to take my family away from me mere hours after reuniting. What about you?"

Henry sighed heavily and turned his gaze to the picture. "Fate has a funny way of playing with our hearts. I just hope wherever they are, they're safe."

"We have to believe they are, otherwise we'll go mad. Trust me; I know from experience."

Silence hovered in the air then, and for several moments both staring longingly at the framed photo. Since arriving in Storybrooke Emma had constantly been at Henry's side, and Snow - known as Mary Margaret at the time - had never gone more than a few hours without seeing Charming (or David, since Snow had called him that only a short time ago). It was as if someone were testing them to see how long they could withstand being separated. Charming wondered how much longer it would remain this way, just him and Henry. Alone.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect them."

Henry raised an eyebrow, obviously confused at this confession. "Pardon?"

Charming's shoulders fell sullenly, and Henry noticed that his grandfather suddenly looked very old. "It's my duty to protect them, and I failed."

As if reading his mind, Henry said, "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"But I promised myself I would always protect my family, no matter the cost."

The young boy shook his head. "You can't promise something like that, because you're not always going to be able to keep it."

Charming studied his grandson in admiration and squeezed his small hand gently. "Since we're on the topic of apologies, I should mention that I regret not believing your story. I mean, fairytale characters?"

Henry winked mischievously and offered a smile despite the circumstances. "I'm just glad everyone - especially Emma - realizes I've been telling the truth all along. Had my mom not believed, you and all the others would still be cursed. Or worse."

After a moment, he spoke again. "Can you teach how to fight with a sword one day?"

His grandfather eyed him in mock suspicion and answered with a question of his own. "Why, so that you could defeat Regina yourself and take all the credit?"

A cheeky, albeit tired, grin spread across Henry's dashing features. "Something like that."

Charming could help but chuckle at this and ruffled the boy's hair fondly. "It would be an honour."

From the corner of his eye he could see Henry stifling a yawn, struggling to fend off approaching slumber. Realizing just how late it really was, he half-smiled and rose from his chair. "C'mon kid, we should get some sleep. Not much else we can do right now anyway."

Charming allowed his grandson to take the bed again. Although Emma's room was only mere feet from them and he easily could have gone in there and sleep for a year, he preferred to keep a close eye on Henry. In all actuality, he was far too worried to even think about resting.

The young fellow nodded reluctantly, hugging his grandfather tightly and making his way over to Snow's bed. Before crawling under the sheets, he turned around to face Charming. "I have faith in you."

Within minutes he was asleep, leaving Charming alone once more. The depth of Henry's confession crawled into Charming's veins, warming his heart and temporarily melting the ever-present claw.

"I will find my family," he said in a hushed tone, determination clearly evident in his voice. "If it takes the rest of my days, I _will _find them."


End file.
